Montrose Elementary receives grant for ‘recess renovation’

Citizen Staff Reports

11/08/12

Montrose Elementary School students jumped rope, played hopscotch and participated in games of foursquare recently on their newly painted blacktop during recess. But now, recess for Montrose students is a bit different. With the help of a grant from Capital One, Montrose was able to launch “Organized Recess,” a time of day where students can participate in cooperative games that double as “teachable moments” in the areas of social skills and good citizenship.

“We have done some research and gathered that organized recess decreases discipline incidents,” said Montrose Principal Dana Baldacci. “So we decided this year we’d do several days a week of organized recess, and through this grant, we are able to do it.”

Capital One volunteers came out early in the week to repaint the blacktop and then again later in the week to show students how to safely use the equipment in a variety of games that aimed at fostering participation and fair play (pictured). Each classroom also received a bucket full of new recess materials that encourage students to interact and play with one another in a collaborative way.

“This is a great opportunity that Capital One gives us to give back to the community and the neighborhood,” said Tim Gunn, a Capital One employee. “It’s been a great experience, one of the kids even said it was better than field day, so that’s just sort of the icing on the cake for us.”

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.